Family Life with Disability: Resilience and Creativity in Everyday Experiences

The daily experience of living with a child with intellectual or global developmental disabilities profoundly impacts family structures, roles, and overall quality of life. These families often face discrimination and stigmatization, alongside challenges specific to the type of disability, which can negatively affect family life. However, few studies have explored the positive meanings families attribute to having a member with intellectual disabilities, as well as the internal and external mechanisms they use to adapt.

This research focuses on the resilient and creative processes families develop as they navigate daily life, addressing both the challenges posed by disability within family dynamics and the broader societal structures they interact with, such as schools, healthcare systems, and urban environments. Using a biographical approach grounded in symbolic interactionism, this study explores how families construct meanings around disability, care, parenthood, and family life. The biographical cases examine how these families interpret their daily interactions, revealing both the struggles they face and the strategies they employ to foster resilience in their lives.